Chap. 14. ATreAitfetf BODIES. 151 



thereunto. Then confidef, that there may be fo fmall a quantity 

 of fuch a Kqurde body, a* it miy be almoft itnpoflible for any 

 naturall agent to divide it further into any leffcparc* ; and fup- 

 pofe that ftrch a liquide part is between two dry parts ofa dertfe 

 body, and flicking to them both, bccomerh in the nature of a 

 glew to hold them together : will it not follow out of what we 

 havefaid, that thefe two denfe parts will be as hard to be fe- 

 vered from one another, as the fmall liquide part by which they 

 flick together is to bedititfed? So that, when the vilcuous liga* 

 merits whrch in a body do hold together the dcnfe parts, are fa 

 fmall and fubrile, ay no force we can apply unto them can di- 

 vide them, the adhefion of the parts muft needs grow then in!e- 

 parable- And therefore, we ufc to moiften dry bodies, to make 

 them the more eafily be divided ; whereas thole that are over* 

 moift are of fhemfclves ready to fall in peices. And thus you 

 fee how in f;enerall, bodies are framed. 



Out of which drfcourfc, we may ballance the degrees of foli- 

 dity in bodies, for all bodies being composed of htimide and dry The ca jj of 

 parts, we may conceive either kind of thofe parts, to be bigger *e rcveraii a e - 

 or leflcr, or to be more rare or more denfe. Now if thedry parts 

 of any body be extreme little and denfe ; and the moift parts 

 that joyn the dry ones together, be very great and rare ; then 

 that body wrll be very eafie to be difTolved. But if the rttdift 

 parts which glew together fiich extreme little and dehfe dry 

 parts, be either Jeffer in bulk or not fo rare; then the body cortt- 

 pofed of them will be in a ftronger degree ofconfiftertce. And if 

 the moift parts which ferve for this effect, be in an eicefle of 

 fittlenefle and withall denfc ; then, the body they compote will 

 be in the highefr degree of confidence that nature can frame. 



On the other fide; if you glew together great dry partswhick 

 are moderately denfe and great, by the admixtiori of hurrtide 

 parts that arc oftheleaft fize in bulk, and denfe withall; then 

 the confidence will decreafe from the height of it by how mucK 

 the parts are greater, and the denfity IcfTe. But if un~o dry parts 

 of the greater! fize, and in the grcateft rernifTenefTe of denfity, 

 you adde humide pans that are both very great arid very rare", 

 then the compofed body will prove the moft eafily diflblveaMe 

 of all that nature aftordeth. 



After this, caft ing our eyes a little further to wardi the com- 



K 4 poficion 



